Michael Snyder

Michael Snyder

@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Writer, broadcaster, critic, man-about-two-towns, host of Culture Blast on GABNet, pundit on The Mark Thompson Show & the infamous Coastal Commuter

123 followers38 following207 posts

Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

#Tenzing -- a new feature film about the first expedition to reach the summit of #MountEverest -- blends the personal, historical & spiritual in thrilling fashion. Impressed by this visually stunning dramatization, I herald it in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/tenzing-tell...

thevoicesf.org'Tenzing' tells a true tale of courage and daring - The Voice of San FranciscoDecade after decade, courageous and occasionally foolhardy people trekked to the Himalayas and tried to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. They all failed until 1953, whe...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

The current seasons of TV's #MobLand & #SlowHorses continue to burnish the careers of some renowned movie stars, as I confirm in my latest column for @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/triumphantly...

thevoicesf.orgTriumphantly tripping from movies to TV - The Voice of San FranciscoMovie stars used to turn to TV roles only when their careers were on the decline, but today it’s common to see major film actors working on television shows without losing their big-screen exposure. M...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Four horror movies from overseas -- #GhostInTheCell #NeverAfterDark #Colony & #Nightborn -- deliver the scares we crave as #Halloween approaches. I dig through the tricks & treats in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/zombies-and-...

thevoicesf.orgZombies and ghosties and trolls (oh my!) - The Voice of San FranciscoOctober has shambled in, and that means the spooky season is upon us. With Halloween lying in wait at the end of the month, we have four weeks to get ready for tricks, treats, and frights. And there’s...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

In @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social, I write about the documentary #YouHadToBeThere, which reveals how the 1972 Toronto company of the musical #Godspell launched the careers of comedy legends & laid the groundwork for #SNL & #SCTV. Then, I salute the spinoff #SNLUK: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/comedy-roots...

thevoicesf.orgComedy roots and flourishing branches - The Voice of San FranciscoThat proverb about mighty oaks growing from tiny acorns came to mind after watching the new documentary You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, which takes a deep ...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Betrayals loom when #EthanHawke strikes gold as star of the Depression-era thriller #TheWeight and #WillBrill's character goes off due to a bad romance with a fellow teacher in the comedy #TheMusical. But you can trust my film reviews in #TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: thevoicesf.org/when-treache...

thevoicesf.orgWhen treachery abounds, entertainment resounds - The Voice of San FranciscoBetrayal is disheartening and debilitating, unless it’s happening to someone in a movie. Then, it’s diverting. For example, The Weight is a tension-loaded drama that follows a criminal expedition into...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

They may be revising familiar sitcom formats, but #Adults & #ThePaper transcend their influences to keep the laughs coming in their sophomore TV seasons. My homage to both shows is now available in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/revisiting-a...

thevoicesf.orgRevisiting and revising vital sitcom formats - The Voice of San FranciscoA lack of originality isn’t merely a bug in the movie and TV business. It’s often a feature, as production companies and studios take the easy road and try to replicate earlier successes rather than r...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

With her engaging, complex performance in the new romantic dramedy #TheSunNeverSets, #DakotaFanning further embellishes an acting career that began when she was a kid in the early 2000s. I review the movie & give Fanning her due in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/dakota-fanni...

thevoicesf.orgDakota Fanning rises in The Sun Never Sets - The Voice of San FranciscoEarning acclaim as a child actor may or may not be a harbinger of future success. There are more than a few movie and TV kids who proved incapable of transitioning to grown-up roles for one reason or ...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Women are on top in a wave of female-centric TV thrillers & I write about the sisterhood in action -- specifically the shows #Furious & #RideOrDie -- in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/sisterhood-i...

thevoicesf.orgSisterhood is powerful … and sometimes problematic - The Voice of San FranciscoSince television first captured the public’s fancy in the 1950s, shows about detectives and spies have predominantly featured men in the main roles. There have been distaff outliers, from Anne Francis...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

The powers-that-be tried to bury the case of #CoyoteVsAcme, but the verdict is in: This live-action/cartoon hybrid comedy is a winner. I take the stand in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social to cheer it & another family-friendly film, #TheMagicFarawayTree: thevoicesf.org/family-frien...

thevoicesf.orgFamily-friendly films for fun and fantasy - The Voice of San FranciscoSummer is almost over, and kids are returning to school. So why not get the whole brood together for a night out at the multiplex before homework becomes too overwhelming? Conveniently enough, there a...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Holding out for some heroes? In my latest column for @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social, I suggest turning on your TV to watch the Earth-based space cops of #Lanterns, the nomadic do-gooder #Reacher & the hapless, hilarious multiversal travelers of #StuartFailsToSaveTheUniverse: thevoicesf.org/heroes-are-n...

thevoicesf.orgHeroes are not so hard to find … on TV - The Voice of San FranciscoIf it feels like real-world heroes are in short supply these days, the fictional variety can be easily found on television. They may not conform to a particular heroic ideal, but they’re out there, an...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

The biopic #Tony looks at bon vivant #AnthonyBourdain's life before success, while the drama #LateFame ruminates over a one-time poet who never realized his dreams. These adventures on the edge of fame spurred my new #moviereviews in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: thevoicesf.org/learning-lif...

thevoicesf.orgLearning life lessons on the periphery of fame - The Voice of San FranciscoSuccess is not always a component of fame, nor is fame a requisite of success — and neither one is easy to achieve. While the late celebrity chef, author, and TV personality Anthony Bourdain earned ac...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

A recent London performance of the Tony-winning Broadway musical #Hadestown was captured live on video, giving moviegoers a chance to see this acclaimed take on the myth of #Orpheus. Dazzled by the production, I lavish laurels on it in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/a-hella-stag...

thevoicesf.orgA hella stage musical gets a big-screen release - The Voice of San FranciscoOne of the best known tragedies of Greek mythology tells of the doomed romance between the preternaturally gifted musician Orpheus and the beautiful wood nymph Eurydice. As befits a sad tale about the...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

The ever-cranky #LarryDavid sends up and takes down notable figures and events in American history on his current #HBOMax comedy series "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness," which I laud in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: thevoicesf.org/a-curmudgeon...

thevoicesf.orgA curmudgeon’s lampoon of U.S. history - The Voice of San FranciscoIn his capacity as a comedic performer, writer, and public figure, Larry David has made a considerable living by being cantankerous, contrary, and dissatisfied, perpetually whining about the status qu...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

In a summer movie season plagued by big-budget box office flops, #TheOdyssey & #SpiderMan: #BrandNewDay are offering Hollywood hope. I analyze the situation in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/odysseus-and...

thevoicesf.orgOdysseus and Spider-Man to the rescue - The Voice of San FranciscoNever mind the poisonous noise from certain quarters about the nontraditional casting of the actors in filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. All the racism and transphobia and the whining about s...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

After watching a few minutes of the Manchurian Cantaloupe try to put the heebie-jeebies into his ignorant followers last night, I want to point out that the first syllable in the word “conspiracy” is “con.”

Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Winsome actress #ZoeyDeutch & a roster of familiar faces including #JonHamm bring the fun to the film comedy #GailDaughtryAndTheCelebritySexPass & I register my approval in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/sleeping-wit...

thevoicesf.orgSleeping with self-deprecating celebrities - The Voice of San FranciscoA young woman makes a bargain with her fiancé that would give each of them license to sleep with one famous person — presumably one time only and ostensibly with no negative repercussions on their rel...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

#OliviaWilde directs #TheInvite in impressive fashion & plays a main role in this savvy serio-comic movie about relationship fails & the 2nd season of #Sugar keeps things noir with a touch of bizarre. I scope out the film & the TV series in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: thevoicesf.org/an-invitatio...

thevoicesf.orgAn invitation to laugh at couples in crisis - The Voice of San FranciscoAs an actress, Olivia Wilde can project fierce intellect as well as earthiness, whether she’s playing serious or silly. Those traits seem to be inherent to the woman herself and serve her well as she ...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Legendary San Francisco band the @GratefulDead.bsky.social gets an extensive tribute at the #HaightStreetArtCenter, while some renowned music venues, including the #BottomOfTheHill, are in flux. I raise the Dead & hit the clubs in my column for @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: thevoicesf.org/celebrating-...

thevoicesf.orgCelebrating the Dead as the club scene evolves - The Voice of San FranciscoWandering through a preview of the ornate color blast that is the Forever Grateful exhibition of Grateful Dead memorabilia at the Haight Street Art Center, I couldn’t help but reflect on the Bay Area ...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

The #BayArea #animation colossus #Pixar brings back #Woody, #BuzzLightyear & their fellow sentient toys in the touching, topical #ToyStory 5, inspiring me to opine on the film & the studio's legacy in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC #cartoons #sequel #playtime thevoicesf.org/toying-aroun...

thevoicesf.orgToying around with a durable franchise - The Voice of San FranciscoThe release of Toy Story 5 this past weekend is yet another landmark in the saga of Pixar Animation Studios, the Emeryville, Calif.-based company that has produced 30 full-length movies since the firs...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Reflecting all the colors of the rainbow flag, the 50th @Frameline.bsky.social festival is gracing the Bay Area with a schedule of over 140 films. I preview this edition of the long-running annual celebration of #LGBTQ+ cinema in my column for @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: thevoicesf.org/frameline50-...

thevoicesf.orgFrameline50 fearlessly focuses on the LGBTQ+ experience - The Voice of San FranciscoA welcome rebuke to divisiveness and intolerance wherever it lurks, the Frameline media-arts organization — renowned bastion and supporter of queer cinema — is presenting the 50th edition of its annua...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

#PowerBallad is the latest in Irish filmmaker #JohnCarney’s scintillating series of movies about musicians, their lives & their struggles. Motivated by this current crowd-pleaser, I write about Carney & his filmography for @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/delving-into...

thevoicesf.orgDelving into the power and glory of music - The Voice of San FranciscoIf anyone understands the glories, pitfalls, and perils of the music industry well enough to make a movie (or five) on the subject, it would be John Carney who, prior to his impressive career as a dir...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

#WidowsBay, #SpiderNoir & #Rivals -- current streaming TV shows that are willing to buck the norm and successfully shift between genres -- make for appointment viewing, as I clarify in my latest column for @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/a-streaming-...

thevoicesf.orgA streaming trio of hybrid TV treats - The Voice of San FranciscoThe barrage of content produced for the profusion of networks, cable channels, and streamers means that there will inevitably be some hits and some misses. While conventional television programs court...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

Criminal endeavors drive Bay Area filmmaker @BootsRiley.bsky.social's comedy #ILoveBoosters & award-winning documentarian #DanielRoher drama #Tuner in radically different directions & I sentence both movies to positive reviews in @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social: #SFBAFCC thevoicesf.org/boosting-and...

thevoicesf.orgCapering with boosters and tuners - The Voice of San FranciscoFlagrantly distinctive Oakland, Calif.-born filmmaker, rapper, songwriter, and activist Boots Riley rails against the machine with a torrent of gags in his sophomore movie, I Love Boosters, and award-...
Michael Snyder
@cultureblaster.bsky.social

In my latest column for @TheVoiceSF.bsky.social, I wholeheartedly buy into #TheAudacity -- a shrewd and satirical TV series about the movers, shakers & amoral disruptors of #SiliconValley's wildfire tech sector: #SFBAFCC @TheMTS.bsky.social thevoicesf.org/an-audacious...

thevoicesf.orgAn audacious TV takedown of the tech sector - The Voice of San FranciscoDepending on your perspective, the rise of computers, smartphones, and digital media can be seen as a boon or a threat, especially as AI becomes more pervasive and invasive. It’s safe to say there are...